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How this guide works...

This revision guide is the Restless Earth revision guide and should be used

alongside the exam question booklet you got earlier term. Together it gives you a

full and detailed guide of everything you’re expected to know – fun right?

Remember – everything in this booklet (along with the other five!) you need to

know about, and we’ve already done at least once in class. The activities I’ve

included in this book will help you, but are not exam questions, they are designed

to encourage you to get thinking about revision / do revision!

You should therefore attempt exam questions from your

exam book let as you go along to really help you. The

symbol to the right and the page numbers next to it tell

you where you can find exam questions linked to that

topic in the exam question book.

If you should lose this booklet (naughty you), then you can easily download and

print off a new copy from the homework section of the CTS website. They are also

available from the swish revision hub board outside of the geography room.

As always remember – you do them, I mark them, you respond / improve and then I

remark. Put simply… There is no excuse for not having your revision / exam

question books on you – or for not doing revision…ever.

The next six pages are the best places to start they talk about what the exam will

look like, what the exam board say you should know for this unit, a small guide to

the types of questions there are on GCSE geography exams and how to answer

them and finally a list of command words.

Any questions at all...

...please ask!

What will my exam look like? You will have two exams, both will last 1 and a half hours and will be made up of 2 sections – the helpful diagram below will

explain everything.

Physical Geography - 1 and 1/2 hours

long

Section A

Q1 - Restless Earth

Section B

Q5 - Water on the Land

Q6 - Ice on the Land

Human Geography - 1 and 1/2 hours

long

Section A

Q2 - Changing Urban

Environments

Section B

Q4 -Development

GapQ6 - Tourism

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What does the exam board expect me to know for the Restless Earth Section?

You should know and understand: ✓

What a tectonic plate is and where they are

What the difference between continental and oceanic tectonic

plates are

What happens at the destructive, constructive and conservative

plate margins (boundaries)

The sorts of landforms that are found at plate margins like fold

mountains, ocean trenches, composite volcanoes and shield

volcanoes

A case study of how one range of fold mountains are used

Volcanoes – the characteristics of shield and composite volcanoes

A case study of a volcanic eruption – it’s cause, primary and

secondary effects, positive and negative impacts, immediate and

long term responses

How can volcanic eruptions be monitored and predicted for

The characteristics and likely effects of a Supervolcano

The locations and causes of earthquakes, its features (epicentre,

focus, shock waves) and how earthquakes are measured.

How countries can predict, protect and prepare for earthquakes

and why this is important.

TWO case studies of an earthquake – one in an MDC and one in a

LDC – their specific causes, primary and secondary effects,

immediate and long term responses and the differences between

them.

A case study of a tsunami – its cause, effects and responses.

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The really helpful bit

In GCSE geography there are two types of questions – short answer questions

(worth 1, 2 or 3 marks) and longer answer questions (worth 4, 6 or 8 marks). This

help guide should help you recognise the difference between the two and how to

answer each type of question.

Short Answer Questions (worth 1, 2, or 3 marks)

These questions are point marked. This means that the examiner will give you a

mark for each point that you make and explain (if the question asks for it).

Before answering the question you should read it carefully. It might be worth

highlighting or circling what the command words are and then underline what

topic the question actually is asking for.

A few quick points:

- Make sure you give / answer the correct number of points for the marks that

the question is worth.

- Make sure you introduce your answer – it only takes a few words and shows

the examiner you know what you’re talking about. Avoid starting any

sentence with words like it or they. A better example would be “An MDC is a

more developed country”

Long Answer Questions (worth 4, 6, or 8 marks)

These questions are level marked. This means that the examiner will read all of

your answer and then decide on a level to give you. In 4 or 6 mark questions the

maximum level you can get is level 2, in an 8 mark questions the maximum level is

level 3.

On your human geography paper for your 8 mark questions there is 3 extra marks

awarded for your spelling punctuation and grammar. The table below shows what

you need to do to get these extra marks.

Threshold performance

(1 mark)

- You spell, use punctuation and use the rules of grammar with reasonable accuracy.

- Any mistakes do not stop the examiner understanding what you meant in your response.

- You use a limited range of key words appropriately.

Intermediate performance

(2 marks)

- You spell, use punctuation and use the rules of grammar with considerable accuracy

- The examiner has a good idea of what you mean in your answer. - You use a good range of key words appropriately.

High performance

(3 marks)

- You spell, use punctuation and use the rules of grammar with consistent accuracy.

- The examiner has no trouble understanding what you mean in your answer.

- You use a wide range of specialist terms adeptly and with precision.

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The examiner is looking for what are called ‘linked statements’ to give you the

higher levels, and therefore higher marks.

Linked statements are sentences with developed explanation, statistics or

examples in your answer that prove your point.

What the examiner is looking for at each level is shown in the table below along

with some example sentences to help.

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Basic knowledge with little or no detail showing very simple understanding. There is little organisation of the answer and few key words.

Clear knowledge with clear and developing understanding and explanation shown. Some examples are used along with key words.

Detailed knowledge with clear and detailed understanding and explanation. Examples are used to answer the question with explanation and a wide range of key words are also used.

Lots of people die in poorer countries die in earthquakes.

Lots of people die in earthquakes in LDCs because there is likely to be less emergency services.

Lots of people die in earthquakes in poorer countries because there is likely to be less effective emergency services. This is because there is less money to pay for training for them, or give them good equipment. This means that less people will be saved and therefore more people will die.

A good 4 step plan to remember when writing a longer answer essay question is:

Page | 6

Exam Command Words

These are sometimes called trigger words – they should trigger you into knowing

what the question is asking of you. But sometimes people can get confused as to

what they need to do to answer the question effectively.

The table below shows you the most often used command words and what they

mean. They are in an order with most often used ones first.

Command Word

Definition

Describe Give a detailed version of what happens / has happened.

Give Use words like because in your answer as you will be explaining how or why something is that way.

Discuss Explore the subject by looking at its advantages and disadvantages (i.e. for and against). Attempt to come to some sort of judgement.

Explain Describe, giving reasons and causes.

Define Give the meaning. This should be short.

Outline Concentrate on the main bits of the topic or item. Ignore the minor detail.

Evaluate / Assess

Give an opinion by exploring the good and bad points. It’s a bit like asking you to assess something. Attempt to support your argument with expert opinion.

Factors Not strictly a command word – but it can come up – where a question asks about factors it means give the facts, reasons or circumstances that can make something happen.

Identify Recognise, prove something as being certain.

Compare / Contrast

Show the similarities / Show the differences (but you can also point out the other side of the argument).

Analyse Explore the main ideas of the subject, show they are important and how they are related.

Comment Discuss the subject, explain it and give an opinion on it.

Justify Give a good reason for offering an opinion.

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What is a Tectonic Plate? Where are they found? Plate tectonics is the study of large slabs of earth that move around causing

landforms like fold mountains, and events like earthquakes, volcanoes and

tsunamis.

In order to understand about plate tectonics first you need to know about the

structure of the earth. The earth is made up of three main parts – the core, the

mantle and the crust.

The crust is where we live and it’s divided into seven major

tectonic plates plus about 40 smaller ones – you can see this

on the map on the next page. There are two different types of

crust – continental crust and oceanic crust which have

different characteristics. More on this just below too!

Tectonic plates float on the semi molten rock of the

asthenosphere, on average the plates move at about 5cms a

year in the direction of the convection currents below them in

the mantle. Convection currents are the movement of the

heated up mantle away from the core before then cooling and sinking again.

Plate margins or boundaries are where tectonic plates meet or pull apart because

of these convection currents.

The mantle has the hottest rock when it is nearest to the core (5,000°C). It is

coolest near to the surface but even then the rock is semi molten here - just

underneath the crust in the area. This is known as the asthenosphere. The area

heating all of these up is the core - a dense area made up of rocks containing iron

and nickel. The inner core is solid and has a temperature of 6,000°C, as hot as the

surface of the sun. The convection currents are created by the heat of the outer

core – about 5,000°C.

1. What are tectonic plates? What causes them to move?

What impact does the movement of these have on the world?

2. Draw your own copy of the structure of the earth – only

BIGGER! Add in key information about the crust, mantle and

core all around it.

3. From the next page - What are the differences between

the continental and oceanic crust? Create a table showing the

differences between them.

4. Find out whether each of the main plates is oceanic or

continental – colour code the map on the next page. Include a

key.

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What is a Continental Tectonic Plate? How is it different to an Oceanic Tectonic Plate? Depending on where the tectonic plate is found will depend on its characteristics.

Plates found underneath land masses are called continent crust. It is very different

to oceanic crust (which is found under oceans and seas).

Continental crust is:

- Older – most is over 1,500 million years old.

- Less dense – so cannot sink

- Cannot be renewed or destroyed.

Oceanic crust on the other hand is:

- Newer – most is less than 200 million years old

- Denser – so therefore can sink

- Can be renewed and destroyed

p.14, p.41

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Where two tectonic plates meet – this is called a plate boundary. As there are two

different types of tectonic plate there are different types of plate boundary – where

different landforms and tectonic hazards are caused. There are four different

types – conservative, constructive, destructive and collision. You need to know

about all of these.

Lots of information to learn here I’m afraid as these are core to everything that

follows on after it.

Conservative Plate Margins –

At conservative plate margins two

plates are sliding past each other in

slightly different directions and at

slightly different speeds.

They do not move smoothly and tend

to get stuck, this creates pressure

which builds up along the fault until

one plate jerks past the other as the

pressure is released – an earthquake.

There is no volcanic activity because

land is neither being created or

destroyed.

Constructive Plate Margins –

Constructive plate boundaries

are usually found at two oceanic

crusts that are moving apart. As

the plates move apart the gap in

the seafloor between them is

filled with magma rising up from

the mantle below. This creates

an underwater volcanic ridge.

An example of this is the Atlantic

Ocean which is getting wider as

the seafloor is spreading.

Sometimes the volcanoes grow high enough to reach the surface and so create

volcanic islands like Iceland. It too is growing wider as magma fills in the gap as

the plates move apart. Shield volcanoes (more on those later!) are also created

here.

Page | 10

Destructive Plate Margins –

At destructive plate margins two

plates are moving together – the

oceanic and continental crust

meet. Where this happens the

oceanic crust (which is more

dense than the continental crust) is

forced to sink under the

continental plate.

The oceanic crust is pushed down

into the mantle in a place called the

subduction zone. The oceanic

plate does not slide smoothly

under the continental plate. It

moves in a series of jerks because of friction and so there is a build up of pressure

in the subduction zone.

An earthquake is caused when this pressure is released all of a sudden. They can

be very high magnitude. Fold mountains are also created here where the

continental plate is forced upwards and an ocean trench where the oceanic plate

is forced down.

Also at destructive boundaries pressure builds up in the magma. This will cause it

to escape through any lines or cracks of weakness in rocks of the continental

crust. When it comes to the surface it erupts as a volcano (normally a composite

one).

Collision Plate Margins –

At collision margins two

continental crusts are forced

together. At a depression within

the earth – known as a

geosyncline, sediment (mud, silt

and sand) deposited by the sea

and rivers is found. As neither

tectonic plate can be destroyed

the sediment within the

geosyncline is forced upwards

under huge pressure. Sometimes

this can cause earthquakes here

when they are forced up.

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It is this forcing upwards that can cause mountain ranges – called fold mountains.

Examples of these are the Himalayas in Nepal. You can find out more about fold

mountains (and a helpful diagram too!) in the next section.

It’s also useful to know some examples of the different types of plate boundaries –

the map below shows you these.

5. Using an A4 piece of paper landscape - draw a diagram of

each of the different types of plate boundary – you can copy the

ones above if you wish. Add annotations around each of the

diagrams to show what is going on. Add a * where hazards like

earthquakes or volcanoes are created.

p.28, p.29, p.36, p.42

Collision margin: Two continental plates

collide, they are both the same density

and so they crash and the land buckles

into fold mountains. The Indo-Australian

plate is colliding with the Eurasian plate

and has formed the Himalayas.

Destructive margin: Subduction Nazca plate (oceanic crust) is being subducted under the South American plate (continental crust).

Constructive margin: Mid Atlantic Ridge is marked by an

underwater chain of volcanoes and fissures (cracks)

where the North American plate is being pulled away

from the Eurasian plate. Iceland has been formed where

these volcanoes have built up to the surface.

Conservative margin: The North American

plate and the Pacific plate are sliding past

each other. This is the San Andreas Fault.

Page | 12

What sorts of landforms are found at

plate margins? Fold Mountains

Fold mountains like the Himalayas and the Alps are found at collision plate

boundaries where two continental plates come together, and as neither can be

destroyed the sediment in between the two plates is forced up (like at the

Himalayas) or at destructive plate margins where the continental plate is pushed

up as the oceanic plate is forced underneath (Like in the Alps).

The map below shows you where young fold mountains can be found alongside

ocean trenches (the next section) and although you should be by now an expert at

what happens at a destructive plate boundary, at a collision plate boundary there’s

a detailed diagram below.

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At collision margins – like the Himalayas the following process is happening –

In Box A -

Huge depressions in the Earth’s crust are

known as Geosynclines. The sea of Tethys is a

good example of a geosyncline.

Rivers erode the land as they flow over it. The

eroded particles are carried as their load and

are then deposited as sediments in the seas,

filling the geosynclines.

In Box B -

Layers of sediment build up on the sea bed.

Lower layers get compressed by the weight of

the overlying layers.

Over millions of years the sediments were

compressed into layers of sedimentary rocks

like limestone.

In Box C -

As the plates move together the layers of sedimentary rocks will be squeezed from

the sides.

Over time, the layers of rocks are folded and faulted (cracked). The major lines of

folding indicate the direction of plate movement (see map above).

6. It might be worth spending some time with each of the different

landforms you need to know and create a flow diagram – saying step

by step how each process creates a landform. Physical geography

examiners love it, processes and outcome, a sure fire way to a L3

type answer in a big marker question.

p.39

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How are Fold Mountains Used? A

Case Study – The Alps

AQA say that you need to know a case study

about how humans use and adapt to fold

mountain areas – so we’re going to look at the

Alps – an area in central Europe that stretches

across eight countries (France, Germany,

Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Monaco and

Liechtenstein) and is home to Europe’s highest

mountain – Mont Blanc. The area is home to 14

million people but is popular with tourists –

around 120 million visit every year.

The Alps has a variety of different zones of land use. For example it gets colder the

higher up you go. There is more rain and snow and it is windier. Trees cannot grow

on the highest slopes. Whereas the deep valleys are sheltered and so

temperatures are warmer and it is less windy at the valley floor.

The valleys have been widened and deepened by glaciers so there is quite a lot of

room on the flat valley floor for villages, fields for crops and communication

systems like roads and railways which have brought extra tourists in.

The Alps are used for four main things – farming, hydro-electric power, mining and

tourism. The following sections will take each of these in turn. There’s activities to

complete dotted around in there too.

Farming

The valley floor is the ideal location for farming because the land is flatter, the soils

are deeper and more fertile and it is sheltered from the wind. Most farms extend up

on to the sunnier south facing slopes.

Also there is better access; roads and railways follow the valleys.

Page | 15

Traditional farming

The traditional farming in the area is dairy

farming using a system called

transhumance which means the movement

of animals according to the season.

In summer the cattle are taken to higher

areas to graze. This allows hay and fodder

crops to be grown in the valley. In some

parts of the Alps where slopes are south

facing (and therefore sunny!) vines of fruit

are also grown in small fields.

Recent changes in farming

Cable cars which have been built for skiers and tourists, are now used to bring

milk to the dairies down on the valley floor. Some of the milk comes down the

mountain slopes through plastic pipes.

In the past the farmer would stay with his cattle on the high alpine summer

pastures and churn the milk into butter and cheese up there but new roads and

quad bikes allow farmers easy access to pastures higher up the slopes and so they

do not have to stay there, they can just leave their cattle there

Farmers can also buy additional feed now the area is richer so the cattle can stay

on the valley floor all year meaning that transhumance is rapidly dying out.

Forestry

Another type of farming that happens lots in

the Alps is the growing of conifer trees.

Coniferous forests cover the slopes, especially

the north facing ones up to about 1,800m high.

Wood is the main building material of the Alps

and is a source of fuel. Saw mills are located in

the valley floor and some timber is now pulped

to make paper, chipboard etc.

Page | 16

Tourism

Tourism is all year round in the Alps in part because it close to the rich areas of

western Europe and therefore within easy reach. Also the area has benefited from

good communications using existing alpine passes (areas of flat land between

mountains) eg St Bernard pass, for road links. Local airports eg Geneva for air

travel, especially now the budget airlines like EasyJet are flying there.

Winter tourism

In winter Skiing is big business in resorts

most famously in Chamonix and St Moritz.

The Alps usually get fairly heavy snow fall

making it perfect for skiing and other

winter sports giving a long season from

October to Easter.

The days are clear, crisp and sunny,

especially on the ski runs and resorts of

the south facing slopes, while the flatter land of the high Alp is useful for building

resorts, restaurants, cable cars and ski lifts. This higher area also offers great

scenery and spectacular mountain views to enjoy as you ski/board/walk, while

steeper slopes even higher up provide expert ski runs.

Concerns

There are concerns though - climate change may have a massive impact as

winters seem to be getting warmer which could mean less snow and a shorter

season. In fact some resorts in the Alps have even taken to creating their own

snow to guarantee enough to snow on.

Some places are so popular with tourists that people are now skiing on worn

slopes, damaging the vegetation and the ground below. This is causing bare

slopes and soil erosion and an increased risk of avalanche and rock fall.

Summer tourism

Summer tourism is now big business in the Alps with lots of people attracted to the

spectacular scenery and landscape with glacial lakes like Lake Como and Lake

Garda in Italy adding to the beauty, providing lakeside resorts and provide

opportunities for water sports.

Page | 17

The facilities for winter tourism like hotels, restaurants and cable cars can be

used for both winter and summer tourism meaning more money for the local area.

Walking can be as easy or difficult as people want it to be – trails and routes are

well laid out with plenty of facilities on the way. With local guides available for

walking, mountaineering and wildlife watching providing jobs for local people.

7. Using the information above explain why the Alps is a

good area for farming.

8. In the style of a travel journal / travel magazine write up

describe why people would want to visit the Alps. You should

include attractions and facilities.

9. Explain what the problems are with tourism in the Alps

and the impacts this has.

Hydro Electric Power (HEP)

High rainfall in the Alps ensures that there is a

constant supply of water in the area, steep slopes,

and summer melting of the glaciers and snowfields

produce fast flowing rivers that are ideal for

generating HEP.

Storage of the water has been possible as dams

built across the narrow valleys so that reservoirs

build up behind them and form lakes as shown in

the picture above.

The HEP is cheap, clean and sustainable and it supplies the local area but is also

sent to other regions along the national grid power lines and it supplies local

industries like sawmills which uses a lot of electricity.

Quarrying

In the Italian Alps quarrying for marble has been important for many years used by

artists like Michelangelo. Today it is an expensive and high quality and exported all

over the world to be used in buildings as tiles and blocks.

The marble quarries have become a tourist attraction with small workshops

making souvenirs for the tourist trade.

Page | 18

How people adapt to using the Alps

The Alps are in Western Europe which is one of the wealthiest and technology

advanced areas of the world.

Also countries like France, Switzerland, Italy and Germany work with each other to

overcome the problems of living in a difficult high mountain environment.

Communications and steep relief

Communications within a fold mountain region are difficult because of the steep

relief (slopes).

The main roads and railways follow the valleys and make use of the passes over

the mountains like the St Bernard pass connecting Switzerland and Italy. Modern

road and rail tunnels have been cut through the mountains. The most recent is the

Gotthard tunnel which is the longest rail tunnel in the world and was completed in

mid-2016.

Overall, accessibility is being improved with winding hairpin roads enable steep

slopes to be used by cars and cable cars and chair lifts being used to cross valleys

and climb slopes.

10. Using the information above explain how humans have

adapted to life in the Alps and the benefits it has brought to the

area and tourism specifically.

p.19, p.22, p.40

Page | 19

What sorts of landforms are found at

plate margins? Ocean Trenches

Ocean trenches are found alongside young fold mountains in the subduction zones

at destructive plate boundaries – a good example is the Pacific Ocean.

If you take a look at the destructive margin diagram from earlier you see that in the

subduction zone an ocean trench is created as the oceanic plate pushes

underneath the continental plate. For example on the west coast of South America

where the Nazca plate is diving under the South American plate. The South

American plate tends to buckle and bend and this makes the trench bigger too.

p.21, p.22

What sorts of landforms are found at

plate margins? Composite Volcanoes

Composite (or conical) volcanoes are the traditional cone like volcanoes, and are

formed at destructive plate boundaries.

Here continental and oceanic plates meet and as the oceanic plate is denser than

the continental plate it sinks (is subducted) under the continental plate.

The oceanic plate melts into the mantle in the subduction zone under extreme

pressure turning it into magma.

Extreme heat and pressure may force the magma into

cracks in the rocks of the continental crust where it can

collect in a magma chamber.

As more magma is added to the magma chamber from

the subduction zone, pressure builds up in the magma

chamber eventually exploding through a line of

weakness coming at the surface as a volcanic eruption.

The place where it comes out is known as the vent.

The cone grows with each successive eruption – layers of ash and lava.

Page | 20

The explosions are dramatic and high magnitude because of the gases in the lava

and the build up of pressure needed to force the lava through the thicker layers of

rock.

11. Using the information above and below draw a diagram

of a composite volcano and annotate around it the

characteristics and explanation of how a composite volcano is

created. It’ll be super useful for when you come to revise. Trust

me.

The key characteristics of a composite volcano are:

A tall cone with a narrow base and steep sides.

Made up of layers of ash and lava

The lava is acidic which means that it has a high

silica content

Acid lava is more viscous than basic lava – (in

other words) it is much thicker and flows more

slowly so taller cones build up.

After an eruption the vent gets blocked with a solidified lava plug and so great

pressure builds up before the next eruption.

During explosive eruptions the plug is shattered into fragments and lava is ejected

high into the air. When the lava falls it has started to solidify and so you get ash and

volcanic bombs.

Very explosive eruptions result from a huge build up of pressure and so you get

pryroclastic flows. These can travel at about 100 miles an hour and can reach

temperatures of 1,000°C.

Sometimes the lava finds an easier route out through the side of the cone and a

secondary cone builds up.

Eruptions are infrequent but explosive. These are dangerous volcanoes.

p.15, p.30

Page | 21

What sorts of landforms are found at

plate margins? Shield Volcanoes

Shield volcanoes are found on

constructive margins so they are

common in Iceland. The best example

(and our case study) of a shield

volcano is Eyjafjallajökull, and there’s

more about this later on.

As shown in the constructive margin

diagram earlier oceanic plates like the

Eurasian and North American plates move apart gradually. These are quite thin (6-

10kms) so there is little pressure building up and as magma from the mantle rises

up to fill the gap forming a series of underwater volcanoes. The eruptions are

gentle, low magnitude eruptions.

As the lava has a low silica content because it has not passed through thick layers

of rock, it is runny and where the volcanoes reach the surface a volcanic island is

formed.

The volcanoes on Iceland tend to be shield volcanoes and are building up in layers

with each new eruption.

The key characteristics of a shield volcano are:

They are called shield volcanoes

because they look like an up

turned shield.

They are made of basic lava

which has a low silica content.

Basic lava is runny (like honey)

so it flows a long way. This

creates a low, wide volcano with

gently sloping sides and a rounded peak.

The eruptions tend to be non violent because there is no huge build up of

pressure – the lava seems to just pour out.

There are regular and frequent eruptions creating a cone made up of layers of

lava.

Page | 22

12. Using the information above and below draw a diagram

of a shield volcano and annotate around it the characteristics

and explanation of how a composite volcano is created. It’ll be

super useful for when you come to revise. Trust me.

You might also want to list the differences between the two

different types of volcano. Later on (after the supervolcano

section) you might want to add in differences comparing them

to supervolcanoes too.

p.16, p.29, p.43

A case study of a volcanic eruption -

Eyjafjallajökull

AQA (the nasty exam board people) expect you

to know one example inside and out of a

volcanic eruption. For us we’ve chosen

Eyjafjallajökull – a mouthful to say, even worse

to spell so to get around this you can call it the

2010 Iceland volcano (or E-15) both of which

are acceptable.

You need to know what caused it, the effects it had (both primary and secondary

AND positive and negative) and the responses there were to it (both short and long

term).

If you can’t remember what the difference between each of these are – shame on

you. But here’s a helpful quick guide:

Primary effects – events or things that changed because of the hazard itself e.g.

buildings are destroyed

Page | 23

Secondary effects - events or things that changed because of an impact of the

hazard e.g. people are made homeless

Positive effects – events or things that changed a place for the better, or brought

an improvement to the area

Negative effects – events or things that changed a place for the worse, or brought

a decline to the area

Response – a reaction to the event can be immediate / short term or within the first

few days / weeks (e.g. people were evacuated) or long term over months or years

(e.g. roads were rebuilt higher up).

That’s a lot to remember but if you can remember specific details, facts and

figures this can often be the make or break element that pushes you up into level

three type answer for the 8 marker questions. So read on and good luck!

Eyjafjallajökull is one of a number

of shield volcanoes found in

Iceland, along the Mid-Atlantic

ridge – an area caused as two

oceanic plates pull apart.

In Iceland’s case this the North

American plate and the Eurasian

plate pulling apart (by about 5cm a

year, roughly the same rate at

which your finger nails grow) as

shown in the diagram below.

Volcanic eruptions are not uncommon in Iceland – one occurs every five or so

years but in April 2010 the largest eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in history occurred

and with wind direction blowing southerly, the ash cloud spread into northern

Europe causing some 100,000 flights to be cancelled and some 7 million people to

be stranded.

Although the volcano actually started erupting in late March 2010, on April the 14th

it started giving out huge amounts of ash into the atmosphere (some scientists

estimate 140 million cubic metres).

Page | 24

Scientists are particularly worried because Eyjafjallajökull shares a magma

chamber with its nearby sister volcano Katla, which historically has always

erupted soon after Eyjafjallajökull. As Katla is much bigger than Eyjafjallajökull it

has the potential to do huge amounts of damage…luckily it’s not gone off…yet.

13. Using the information above – explain what caused

Eyjafjallajökull to erupt. Make sure you make reference to the

type of plate boundary, the type of volcano and specific names

of tectonic plates involved.

14. Using the information boxes below colour code them into

the following categories.

Primary Effect

Secondary Effect

Positive Effect

Negative Effect

Immediate Response

Long term Response

Roads washed away Total loses to Iceland of

£80million

Local water supplies were contaminated with

fluoride

100,000 flights cancelled over 8 days

Sporting events were cancelled or affected due

to cancelled flights

Eyjafjallajökull has become a new Icelandic tourist attraction with its

own visitors centre giving a boost to tourism.

It felt like day turned to night due to the ash blocking out the sun

A Jökulhlaup or GLOF (glacial lake outburst

flood) was caused when the glacier on top of the

volcano melted

Rocks given out by the volcano can be used for

building

Homes and roads damaged and services

(like schools!) disrupted

Lava and ash are rich in nutrients making the soils

in volcanic areas very fertile and good for

agricultural use

Crops were damaged by ash and unable to be grow

Rescuers wore face masks to prevent them

choking on the clouds of ash

Industries were affected by a lack of imported raw

materials for example fresh food imports

stopped.

The Jökulhlaup caused bridges to become

warped and collapse

Jewellery has been created from the ash

given out and is now a big hit with tourists.

Roads were reconstructed with

bridges being strengthened and raised

higher.

The temperature of the nearby river rose to

between 50°C and 60°C killing fish within the river.

Page | 25

Local flood defences needed rebuilding

500 people were evacuated from homes

and hotels nearby

Aircraft now are able to fly through much thicker ash clouds than in 2010.

The mountain and glacier and now one of the most

monitored sites in Europe.

Other countries exporting in to, and around,

northern Europe were affected – for example

Kenya had to throw away 10 million flowers that

were due to be exported to Europe, while Italy lost

$14million per day as it was unable to export

anything.

The cost to airlines was

well over $1.7 billion

p.44

How can Volcanic Eruptions be

Monitored and Predicted For?

We’ve already talked about some of the impacts of living in volcanic areas, and

you’re probably thinking why would people want to live near a volcano in the first

place. There are a number of benefits to living near a volcano for example:

Farming - After the lava weathers the soil is rich in minerals and is very

fertile and good for farming. Soils around Mt Vesuvius are the best in

southern Italy and are used for growing fruit and wheat.

Tourism – attractions include the volcano itself, hot springs and mud pools

which can be used for spar treatments.

Geothermal energy – heating and electricity as in Iceland.

Minerals – especially sulphur which can be used in the chemical industry.

Page | 26

Scientific research – scientists from organisations like the British Geological

Society, are keen to study the volcano and also monitor whether it is likely

to erupt again.

People who live near a volcano may think that it won’t erupt because it has

been quiet for hundreds of years. Some people think that the advantages of

living near to the volcano outweigh the danger of living in the danger zone.

Increasingly, particularly in richer countries, there is the chance to save lives by warning people if the volcano is about to erupt. This is done by scientists who monitor the volcano and look for the following signs that pressure is building up (on the next page!).

p.31

Page | 27

Signs that the volcano may

be about to erupt

Is there any change in the

shape of the volcano? Are

there any bulges developing

which suggest that magma is

building up?

Electronic tilt meters on the side of volcanoes can detect small changes

Are temperatures inside

the volcano increasing?

Satellites can use GPS to detect changes in shape

Satellites can use infra-red technology to detect increased temperatures

Geologists make observations and take surveys of the volcano check its level of activity. Really dangerous!

Thermometers measure the temperature below the surface

Are there increased

concentrations of gases?

Helicopters have gas sensing equipment on board and fly over the volcano

Equipment like time lapse cameras is used to permanently monitor the volcano and immediately detect changes. Much safer!

Robots monitor the

build up of gases like

sulphur dioxide.

Is there increased earthquake activity?

For weeks before an eruption seismographs show increased earthquake activity

What can we learn about the

volcano’s behaviour from what it has

done in the past?

Page | 28

The Characteristics and Likely Effects

of a Supervolcano

Supervolcanoes are smaller in number, there’s only 7 that have been discovered,

as shown in the map below, but much bigger in terms of size and impact. They are

located mostly on destructive plate boundaries, but are also located in hot spots –

areas where magma rises up in cracks in the mantle.

The following 4 stages give a good explanation of how supervolcanoes are

created:

Page | 29

Page | 30

15. Draw a flow diagram that shows stage by stage how a

Supervolcano is created.

16. Using the information below about Yellowstone National

Park design either a newspaper front cover or a visitor

information leaflet that describes the effects of a Supervolcano

erupting. In this you should talk about the local, national and

international effects, short term and long term effects and

positive (if any!) and negative effects. You also want to include

information about the size and location of Yellowstone National

Park too.

Yellowstone National Park is home to a supervolcano which last erupted 640,000+

years ago. Some scientists believe that this last eruption triggered an ice age.

The Yellowstone Caldera sits on a hotspot underneath the North American Plate. 3

eruptions have occurred in the last 2m years – meaning (some scientists believe) it

is due to erupt soon (geologically speaking that could by anytime from now to the

next couple of thousands of years).

The magma chamber is 80km long, 40km wide and 8km deep. If it erupts it would

eject 5,000km³ of material (5x the minimum size for a supervolcano).

There are signs of increasing activity within the caldera – the geysers are

becoming more active and the ground has risen 70cms in places. However no-one

knows if this is just part of the natural cycle.

Page | 31

If it erupts It is predicted that if Yellowstone erupts then:

10,000km² of land would be blasted away.

87,000 people would die – some from their injuries in the blast, others from

the effects of lack of food and water. 1 in 3 people affected by the ash would

die.

15cms of ash would cover buildings within 1,000km.

The ash would affect transport so there would be no planes.

Electricity and water supplies – major impact on our ability to survive in the

USA in particular but ash would have a more widespread effect eg UK.

Lahars would form where the ash mixes with water and would flow across

the land and then set like concrete destroying farmland and making towns

uninhabitable.

The ash would reach the UK after 5 days and affect us here.

Global climates would change because of the ash and gases ejected into the

atmosphere. Temperatures are likely to fall by 12-15°C. Parts of Europe

would see constant snow cover for 3 years. Monsoon rains would fail

affecting Asia. Crops would fail causing food shortages - it is estimated that

40% of the global population would face severe shortages. There would be

loss of plant and animal species.

p.17, p.18, p.45, p.46

Where do Earthquakes Happen?

The map on the next page shows you the location of where earthquakes happen

shown by dots on the map– you should notice that this happens at plate boundaries

(the solid lines), and mostly in the sea. Although there is a clear pattern that there

are a few places where the majority of earthquakes happen (see figure 1 below) for

example around the Pacific plate (known as the Ring of Fire) and the South

American plate. An exam question is likely to be worth 3 marks – with this in mind

you need to state the points above and perhaps give the name of a country that is

affected a lot – like poor old Japan.

Page | 32

17. Describe the pattern shown by the map above about

the distribution (remember this just means location) of

earthquakes.

18. From what you know so far can you explain why this

pattern might be the case.

p.7

Page | 33

What Causes Earthquakes?

We’ve already looked at the different

types of plate boundary and talked about

how earthquakes are caused here but in

case you’re not sure – earthquakes are

the releasing of energy from tectonic

plates that have built up over time.

As continental tectonic plates crash

against each other at a collusion plate

boundary (like in the diagram to the left)

the energy of this movement and collision

can create an earthquake.

Earthquakes more commonly occur as they are pushed past each other at

conservative plate boundaries, or the oceanic plate is pushed underneath the

continental plate at a destructive plate boundary, this movement is not smooth

because of the shape of the tectonic plates - instead, sometimes these plates get

stuck and jolt past each other. When this happens energy is released in the form of

an earthquake and the ground begins to move – sometimes violently.

19. Using the information and diagrams above explain how

earthquakes are formed.

20. Draw a copy of each type of plate margin above and

explain using annotations explain where and how earthquakes

are formed.

p.8

Page | 34

What are the Features of an

Earthquake?

When talking about earthquakes there are a number of key words you’re expected

to know about – they all refer to the when and where the earthquake happens from.

For example:

Focus – The focus is where the earthquake originates or starts from. It is in the

earth’s crust, below the surface. The closer the focus to the surface the more

dangerous (because it is stronger) for humans.

Epicentre - The epicentre is the point

on the surface directly above the

focus, it is the centre of the

earthquake on the surface, and the

seismic waves (see below!) spread

out from here. Places nearer the

epicentre experience stronger

seismic waves and more than likely

more damage.

Seismic waves – Seismic waves are

shock waves of energy that travel

through the rock. The further away from the focus or epicentre; the less powerful

they are and therefore the less damage that is done.

p.10, p.24

How do you measure an earthquake?

When talking about measuring earthquakes

there are two different things or aspects that

can be measured – strength and effect.

The strength of an earthquake is measured by

seismographs – these are graphs created when

an earthquake happens and the ground shakes.

This movement is picked up by sensors in the

Page | 35

ground which in turn transmit it to a graph that is produced by computers.

This strength of an earthquake is given

through the Richter scale – a numerical or

quantitative system that is gives an idea as to

the amount of magnitude (or energy

released). The scale is logarithmic, meaning

that whole-number jumps indicate a tenfold

increase. The scale runs from 1 to 10 at

present but there is no upper scale.

The table below shows the strength according to the Richter Scale; it’s effects and

frequency (how often it happens) of earthquakes.

Page | 36

When talking about measuring the effects of an earthquake then the Mercalli scale

becomes useful. It uses a scale from I – XII (1-12 in Roman numerals) and unlike the

Richter scale the Mercalli scale is qualitative, meaning it is based on someone’s

judgement – specifically on the effects on the earth’s surface, people and

buildings. These can be on eye witness accounts, photographs or aerial

photographs as shown by the table below.

21. Describe what the two ways of measuring an earthquake

are.

22. Describe the differences between the two.

23. Out of the two different systems which do you think is the

better system? Why?

p.23

Page | 37

How do you Predict, Prepare or

Protect against Earthquakes?

Predict

We know where in the world earthquakes are likely to occur but we do not know

exactly where they will happen, how severe they will be or when they will happen.

Seismologists constantly try to forecast when an earthquake will take place so that

they can give warnings and save lives. This is not really possible although there a

number of different ways we can try and predict earthquakes. In Japan earthquake

areas are monitored carefully to see if low magnitude earthquakes are becoming

more frequent and increasing in intensity as measured by the Richter scale. If this

is the case there could be a bigger earthquake on the way.

Other ways that seismologists predict earthquakes are:

Nothing

Lasers across the landscape to detect slight

movement

Tiltmeters to detect slight movement

Animals seem to sense earthquakes eg a

colony of toads left in Aquila - Chile just

before the earthquake in 2010.

Seismologists will attempt to measure the movement of the crust around

a fault zone to estimate the total strain that has accumulated.

This measurement is often made using high precision GPS to measure

relative positions of surface features around the fault zone.

They may also use laser scanning equipment which can measure changes

in the ground shape (recording differences in shape) or by using a process

that through the use of a radar to create a series of very accurate relief

maps of the ground surface over time and then to compare the maps to

create a final plot showing the changes.

Water levels change – this is common in

the geothermal pools in Iceland

Page | 38

24. Using the diagram on the previous page develop each

prediction method and explain how they specifically show that

an earthquake can happen for example – the tiltmeters detect a

slight movement in the level of the ground, this could mean that

tectonic plates are likely to be on the move.

Preparation

Preparation is all about getting ready for an earthquake, knowing that one day it

will happen. It involves emergency rescue services, hospitals, police, gas and

electricity companies all having a plan and practising how to respond to an

earthquake.

Ordinary people and organisations like schools and businesses practise

earthquake drills regularly (for example in Japan, once a month) to know where to

go and what to do when an earthquake happens.

Protection

Protection is focused on trying to reduce the number of injuries, deaths and

economic effects through designing buildings and bridges to withstand

earthquakes.

In earthquake prone areas in MDCs e.g. California in the USA, people and

businesses can take out earthquake insurance to protect them from economic

costs; while in Japan they have used technology and money to be able to build

more and more earthquake proof buildings. This worked well in Tokyo during the

March 2011 earthquake where no new buildings collapsed. There are also strict

building regulations to make sure that the danger is minimised. This doesn’t

happen in places like Haiti where there isn’t enough money to afford earthquake

proof buildings or to enforce the strict building controls.

Ways of doing this are:

Cross bracing – This is when supports are used in a X shape in the building that

give it added strength and stop it from twisting as the ground shakes.

Retrofitting – This is when earthquake proof features like cross bracing are fitted

to older buildings.

Page | 39

Building triangular buildings - This works by giving the building a strong base and

placing the weight at the bottom. By doing this when the ground shakes the

building is less likely to topple over.

Having automatic window shutters, sprinkler

system and gas shut off valves – A possible

secondary effect of an earthquake is fire, by having

a sprinkler system and / or gas shut off valve that is

automatic the likelihood of this happen is

significantly reduced. Automatic window shutters

help reduce the effects of an earthquake by

stopping falling glass injuring people below.

Reinforced concrete core – By strengthening the

centre of the building with a strong concrete column

running through the centre it is less likely to sway

and collapse. It also provides a safe place for

people to go to during the earthquake.

Deep foundations – Anchor the building into the

ground and stop it swaying, they also make it much less likely to fall over.

Rubber shock absorbers – built at the bottom of the building they take and spread

out the energy from the earthquake so it doesn’t just hit one part of the building –

making it less likely to fall over.

Moveable roof weights – Controlled by computer they work out which way the

building is swaying and counteract this – therefore make it much less likely to

topple over and collapse.

Land use planning – This works by making sure there is plenty of empty ground

around buildings in case of collapse, but where this is not possible then it allows

for people to escape quickly between buildings.

25. Using the next page add in the labels in the correct

places to describe how buildings can be made earthquake

proof. You should note that some labels can go in more than

one box.

p.38

Page | 40

1 - Fire-resistant building materials 2 - Rubber shock-absorbers to absorb earth tremors 3 - Roads to provide quick access for emergency services 4 - Outer panels flexibly attached to steel structure 5 - ‘Birdcage’ interlocking steel frame 6 - Foundations sunk into bedrock, avoiding clay 7 - Open areas where people can assemble if evacuated 8 - Automatic window shutters to prevent falling glass 9 - Steel frames that can sway during earth movements

10 - Computer-controlled weights on roof to reduce movement

Page | 41

Earthquake Case Studies – LDC –

Haiti and MDC – New Zealand

AQA require you to know about two case studies of

earthquakes at different stages of development.

Haiti (2010) and New Zealand (2011) both suffered

devastating earthquakes a year apart, with the

impact and features of these earthquakes being

quite different.

This could be because the Haiti earthquake was

around sixteen times more powerful and affected

an area with a far greater population density than

New Zealand which may give cause to the

differences.

However we could suggest that the cause of the differences was the level of

development with many of the impacts in Haiti could have been averted had there

been sufficient preparation, this is particularly seen when you investigate the

secondary effects of the earthquake.

Key Information

Haiti New Zealand

Main Location Port-au-Prince Christchurch

Date, time 12/01/2010, 16:53pm 22/02/2011, 12:51 pm

Magnitude 7.0 6.3

Distance of epicentre from main location 13km South West 10km South East

Focus 13km 5km

Summary Statistics

316,000 people killed, 300,000

injured, 1.3 million displaced,

97,294 houses destroyed and

188,383 damaged.

181 people killed, 1,500 injured and about 100,000 buildings destroyed or

damaged

Page | 42

Causes

Haiti New Zealand

The boundary region separating the Caribbean plate and

the North America plate. This plate boundary is

dominated by left-lateral strike slip motion and

compression, and accommodates about 20 mm/y slip,

with the Caribbean plate moving eastward with respect

to the North America plate.

The earthquake occurred as part of the aftershock

sequence of the M 7.0 03/09/2010 Darfield, NZ

earthquake and like the mainshock itself is associated

with boundary deformation as the Pacific and Australia

plates meet in the central South Island, New Zealand.

Primary Effects

• Key buildings such as hospitals and roads collapsed

• 19million cubic metres of rubble and debris left in Port-au-Prince.

• No telephone system due to collapsed lines

• Main prison collapsed releasing 4000 inmates

• Buildings weakened in the previous earthquake

(September 2010) were shaken and collapsed

• The tremor sent the spire of Christchurch Cathedral, a landmark in the centre of the city, toppling into the square below.

• Liquefaction caused cars and buildings to sink

• 8 large aftershocks caused further devastation

• Roads were not fixed or cleared so emergency services (mainly NGOs) were not able to gain access to the victims

• Landslides occurred due to widespread deforestation across Haiti

• Thousands of refugees moved across the border into the Dominican Republic.

• Slow distribution of resources in the days after the earthquake resulted in sporadic violence, with looting reported.

• Emergency shelters made from tarpaulin are not substantial enough to withstand the hurricanes and many temporary camps are also prone to severe flooding.

• Conditions in the camps led to a Cholera outbreak in

October 2010 which affected more than 122,000

people, leaving at least 2,600 dead

•

• •

• •

Police said that the dead included people on two buses which were crushed by falling buildings.

Insurance cost equivalent to 10% of GDP

Shipping containers used to protect homes and roads from rock collapse

30 million tonnes of ice came off the Tasman Glacier Electricity and sewage networks collapsed around the city

Majority of deaths were through collapsed

buildings, over 100 in the television tower.

Secondary Effects

Page | 43

Short Term Responses

• Communication systems, air, land, and sea transport facilities, hospitals, and electrical networks had been damaged by the earthquake, which hampered rescue and aid efforts.

• Confusion over who was in charge further complicated early relief work.

• Port-au-Prince's morgues were quickly overwhelmed with many tens of thousands of bodies had to be buried in mass graves.

• Flash Appeal raised £380m (target later raised to £1.5bn)

• Emergency camps were set up by many aid agencies.

•

•

•

• •

•

•

•

Emergency management plan was deployed

One experienced international Urban Search and Rescue team member described the response as "the best-organised emergency" he had witnessed. 300 Australian Police were sworn in as NZ police to help support the relief.

The military were deployed to help the rescue effort. Many other countries sent supportive search and rescue teams

Electricity supplies were reconnected within 2days over 20 000 portaloos were put in place to combat the lack of sewerage systems

Telephone companies gave free phone calls to all

Long Term Responses

• Aid workers are distributing and building "transitional shelters" which have steel or timber frames.

• Social services were inadequate before the earthquake with many children not attending school and 38% of the adult population were illiterate. Reconstruction money will be spent on providing free primary education for all and reducing malnutrition.

• The Red Cross pays local people to improve the camps.

• Charity groups have helped people start small businesses (e.g. Tearfund)

• Poor governance has led to housing repair and rubble

removal to still be incomplete and in many cases

barely started over one year on from the event.

•

•

•

•

Six thousand people in Christchurch are living in the so-called red zone, where the land was so badly shaken the government has decided they must leave, the government is buying the homes from the victims Australia sent extra counsellors to help people deal with the effects of the earthquake.

Temporary Accommodation Assistance given to those whose houses are uninhabitable

Building regulations were

further enhanced to limit

the impact of another

event.

26. Using the information above explain the causes of each of

the earthquakes – make sure you put in lots of detail – including

names of plate boundaries and the development status of both

countries and the impact this may have had.

27. Create a large spider diagram of the primary and secondary

effects and short and long term responses. Use two different

colours for the different earthquakes – then using a highlighter

note down any similarities between the two earthquakes.

28. Describe what the effects and responses were to each of the

earthquakes.

29. Explain why the effects and responses in Haiti were different to that of New

Zealand

p.25, p.27, p.34, p.35,

Page | 44

What is a Tsunami?

A tsunami (a Japanese word meaning harbour wave) is a massive movement of

water caused often by earthquakes that take place underwater or volcanic

eruptions. It can also be created by landslides into water, or underwater

explosions.

For the benefit of this exam we’re going to focus on it as a tectonic hazard – one

created by an earthquake or underwater volcano; these are essentially the primary

effect – the ground is being moved while the tsunami wave itself is a secondary

effect.

The earthquake (at a destructive or conservative plate boundary) sends out a huge

amount of energy through the sea; and at a destructive plate boundary – the plates

themselves move; this causes the water to move out in all directions.

These waves move out increasing in length to around 200km and speed, up to

800km a hour but start off relatively small in height, at about 1 metre high.

As the waves near the coast and the sea shallows the amount of water in contact

with the base of the sea the amount of friction increases and the waves slow down

in speed to about 80km an hour. As the waves slow down, more and more of them

bunch up together and raise up in height – from anywhere between 10m and 30m –

this gives the impression that the sea is retreating, when in reality the water is

being pulled back to add to the giant tsunami wave as shown in the diagram below.

One last thing - it’s important to know that although the first tsunami wave creates

a huge amount of devastation, it is often the following waves that are more

dangerous. This is because they push the first wave back in again, along with all

the debris, broken glass and sharp metal and dead bodies.

Page | 45

Tsunami Case Study – 2004 Boxing

Day – Indian Ocean

Our main case study for a tsunami is the 2004

Boxing Day tsunami and was caused by an

earthquake measuring between 9.1 and 9.3 on

the Richter scale, the fifth

deadliest earthquake in history. Scientists

have predicted that the power of the wave

was similar to that of 1500 atomic bombs

being released at once. The average wave

height was 10m but in Banda Aceh, Indonesia

it reached 24m (roughly the height of the CTS

building).

It killed over 230,000

people in fourteen

countries as shown in

the map to the right.

This was made worse

by the fact that

countries in the Indian

Ocean had no tsunami

warning system (unlike

places like Hawaii for

example) as it was too

expensive for them to

afford.

There’s lots of information about the tsunami below – you should use this for the

activities that follow – but also for the huge range of exam questions that could

come up from this topic – anything from cause, effect, or responses.

Page | 46

Cause

Caused by the Indo-Australian plate being subducted under the Eurasian

plate – a destructive margin. Pressure built up in the plates and was

released as a massive megathrust earthquake when a section of the seabed

was pushed up by 30m.

The focus was only 10km below the seabed. High magnitude, shallow focus

earthquakes are very dangerous because strong seismic waves reach the

surface.

Epicentre was 160km of the coast of Sumatra so the wave only took 10

minutes to hit land at Banda Aceh.

The tsunami waves travelled 4,000kms hitting the coasts of 14 countries.

The wave was nearly 30m high when it hit Banda Aceh. In some places it

pushed 2kms inland.

The effects on coastal areas

14 countries were affected by the tidal waves. The most badly affected were

the densely populated coastal communities of Indonesia, Thailand. India and

Sri Lanka. These people were dependent on fishing or tourism. The province

of Banda Aceh on the Indonesian island of Sumatra was the worst hit.

220,000 people died.

650,000 were seriously injured

Women and children were the main victims because they are not as strong

as men and were swept away. Also in fishing communities men were out at

sea and were safe.

Many tourists from Europe, Australasia and North America were affected

and this made the tsunami a global catastrophe. Especially as the tourist

areas of Thailand including Phuket were badly hit.

50,000 people are estimated to be missing, mostly from the Banda Aceh

province. They were swept out to sea or buried under debris.

Relatives were desperately searching for their families. This was especially

difficult because of the scale of the disaster.

Medical care was difficult because hospitals were wiped out. Wounds

became infected without proper treatment. Bodies lay in the streets,

amongst the rubble so eventually people were buried in mass graves to

avoid disease.

Page | 47

2 million people were made homeless

Coastal villages and towns were destroyed. The only building left standing in

the town of Aceh was the mosque.

Fishing boats were destroyed. In India 450 boats were destroyed in one

coastal area. This meant that people lost their livelihoods.

Places like Phuket in Thailand, that had a significant tourist industry lost

their incomes.

The response

Short term response - Emergency Relief Aid

Rescue teams from all over the world arrived very quickly to rescue people.

Aid poured in from the international community. Flights brought in tents,

water and water purification tablets, food and medical supplies. Medical

teams like the Red Cross arrived. The United Nations Disaster Emergency

Committee co-ordinated the relief effort working with NGOs like Oxfam who

sent in teams.

Tented camps were set up by the relief organisations.

Heavy equipment was brought in to clear roads etc .

Countries provided funds - eg the UK government promised £75 and

donations following the appeals quickly raised another £100m.– more than

was eventually spent by the UN Disasters Emergency Committee.

Many foreigners flew in to try and find out what happened to their relatives.

Lists and photographs of people were put up so that people could track

down the dead and

injured people.

The scale of the disaster

was so great that

eventually it was decided

that people should be

buried in mass graves to

reduce the threat of

disease and

contamination.

Page | 48

Longer term development aid

Indian ocean tsunami warning system set up 2006 with education

programmes to ensure that people know what to do – set off in 2012.

The rebuilding operation has provided new homes, new schools and medical

centres, water and sanitation systems for coastal villages and towns.

51,395 new houses have been built; 289 hospitals and clinics built or

rehabilitated. Pledged international aid from all sources for the recovery has

topped $13.5bn, almost half of it given by private individuals and

organisations. After a year £372m was donated by the British public alone

Coastal resorts have been rebuilt e.g. Phuket in Thailand

An example of the redevelopment work done by Oxfam and its partners in Banda

Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia – the place nearest the epicentre.

The rebuilding operation has provided new homes, new schools and medical

centres, water and sanitation systems for coastal villages and towns like

Banda Aceh. The type of housing was done in consultation with the

communities.

You can find out more about this on -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/dec/24/aceh-five-years-on

Livelihoods: The fishermen of Banda Aceh have received new boats and

fridges. Rickshaws were provided so that people can earn a living and also

get produce like fish to market. Farms were restocked and co-operatives

established. Micro-credit schemes have been supported to enable people to

set up small businesses.

Water and sanitation: Water and sanitation systems were improved with a

new water system reaching 10,000 people in Banda Aceh. Wells were dug.

Latrines were constructed and people have been trained in hygiene and

sanitation.

Page | 49

30. Use the map above to describe the location of the

tsunami earthquake – remember continent, countries,

geographical direction when describing the location.

31. In your opinion, what was the worse effect and impact?

Why? Make sure you justify your answer.

32. Design a newspaper front page that talks about the

causes and primary AND secondary impacts of the Boxing

Day tsunami and accompanying earthquake.

33. Explain what the responses to the tsunami were.

34. Using the blank map on the next page and the

information above, annotate around it all the effects and

responses above – use it as a revision page, to revise from.

p.13, p.32, p.33,

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